The Challenge
by MonarqueMyste
Summary: COMPLETED! Chapter 8 is up! Carbine has come to Earth and sets up a challenge for our furry heros that she's pretty sure that they will all fail at.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Countdown**

As Charley finished up on the last part of an oil change for a customer, she felt a sense of melancholy wash over her. It was one week until Valentine's Day and she was not feeling up for the holiday. She watched as many couples came and went out of her shop over the past few days, which didn't help her mood.

In her case, she had three fur-balls who acknowledged as being one of the guys. But, that wasn't totally true...

Vinnie was constantly flirting with her on a daily basis and she would playfully rebuff his advances. But, then again, he flirted with anything female that looked.

Then there was Modo. He was constantly "ma'am" this and that with her. Modo was a true gentleman to the core but, sometimes it got on her last nerve. It made her feel old considering that he used the same term with really old ladies.

Of course, she couldn't leave out Throttle. He was happy medium between the other two. It also didn't help that he was beyond handsome and incredibly noble to the core. He kept his flirting with her down to a minimum and respected her, not only for her mechanical skills but, also for the fact that she was female. The only thing wrong with him was the fact that he had Carbine, his girlfriend on Mars.

In Charley's mind, she just couldn't win for losing. Tossing the grease and oil soaked rag into the wash pile, she put the last of her tools away. That's when she heard the familiar sound of Carbine's bike approaching the shop. Letting out a heavy sigh, Charley was actually grateful that the other three mouseketeers weren't with her. She just wasn't in the mood for either of them and felt as though she needed someone female in her life at this moment.

"Hey Charley!" Carbine exclaimed as she pulled up into the garage, turned off her bike, and then removed her helmet. Her long black hair fell down her back as she looked at her Earth friend and then became concerned over the sadness that lurked in her eyes.

"Hey Carbine! What's going on?" Charley inquired as she locked up her toolbox and placed the keys in her pocket. Walking over to her schedule, she crossed off another day. Seven more days until Valentine's Day.

"Not much. Everything alright with you?" Carbine asked as she grabbed a root beer out of the fridge and sat down on one of the stools.

"Yeah. Great. Why?" Charley knew she was too quick on answering Carbine's question and the fact that she didn't even look at the General was certainly a dead give away that something was wrong.

"Now you and I both know better than to start telling a tall tale" Carbine chuckled as she sipped on her bubbly drink and looked at her mechanic friend's frustrated face.

"That obvious?" Charley asked and then smiled as her martian friend gave her a grin and then winked.

"Yep. So, what's really going on? Do I need to reprimand three idiot males? I know it's been a while but it hasn't been that long has it?" Carbine chuckled.

"No. They're fine. It's just that I haven't been out on a date in really long time and next week is Valentine's Day" Charley stated as she grabbed a soda, another stool, and then joined Carbine in sitting down.

"Oh" Carbine said as she remembered hearing human tales about this romantic holiday. Now she understood why her friend was so down. She had three males in her life and not one of them had even made an attempt at being romantic with her.

"Now you see the problem. I know it's silly but, I just would like to feel special" Charley complained as she took a big gulp of her drink.

"Oh, I get it. They've been treating you like one of the guys here lately" Carbine's mind was already brainstorming in order to help her friend out and make those three macho males remember that Charley was female.

"Yeah. I know I shouldn't be complaining because, they do a lot of saving the city and they have their jobs on Mars..." Charley began to say but, stopped to stare down at her drink. She felt absolutely childish complaining about her three best male friends to her best female friend.

"No excuse. You've done so much for them as well as for Mars. The least they can do is treat you like a female who has needs that they haven't met" Carbine figured she would use her authority against the three mice to make Charley feel better about holiday.

"It's fine. I feel better now that I've vented my spleen" Charley said as stood up and answered the phone.

"Yes, Carbine's here. Yeah. Carbine, it's Throttle" Charley felt a bit more cheerful as she handed the phone to Carbine.

"Yeah. I'll be over shortly. Yes. There's a mission" Carbine stated in a very authoritative voice as she hung the phone up on Throttle as he tried to ask a few more questions.

"Really? A mission?" Charley questioned as she watched Carbine mount her bike.

"Yeah. If they call back, tell them I'm on my way and they better not go anywhere" Carbine stated as she put her helmet on and rode off to the scoreboard.

"Not a problem" Charley had learned not to question Carbine when it came to secret missions that she had for the guys.

 **Last night a little dancer came dancin' to my door  
Last night a little angel came pumping on the floor  
She said "Come on baby I got a license for love  
And if it expires pray help from above"**

Charley closed the garage up for the night and made double sure to lock all the doors before striping out of all her clothes and dumping them into the washing machine. Rubbing her neck, she sauntered, nude, into the bathroom for a long overdue bubble bath.

 **Because**

Groaning, she realized that her favorite scent, Sweet Pea, for her shower gel was almost gone. She had just enough left for about two more showers before she would just have to suck it up and buy the cheap store products that didn't smell as good.

 **In the midnight hour she cried- "more, more, more"  
With a rebel yell she cried- "more, more, more"  
In the midnight hour babe- "more, more, more"  
With a rebel yell- "more, more, more"  
More, more, more.**

Turning on the bath water, she sat on the edge of the tub and thought about what she really wanted for Valentine's Day and then shook her head. She knew that none of those three mice could even come close to making her fantasy a reality.

 **She don't like slavery, she won't sit and beg  
But when I'm tired and lonely she sees me to bed  
What set you free and brought you to me babe  
What set you free I need you here by me**

She wanted to feel really special and that meant they would actually have to step outside themselves. They knew she liked Shakespear and knights in shining armor. But, there was more to her than that. She wanted to be wooed and feel loved, even if it was for only one day. But, she knew she was asking for too much out of her three friends.

 **Because**

They loved her and she knew that deep in her heart. Occasionally, she just wished it was more than them just saying it. She wanted them to show it without her having to mention it. There were times she just felt used and discarded but, she also knew that was just their way.

 **In the midnight hour she cried- "more, more, more"  
With a rebel yell she cried- "more, more, more"  
In the midnight hour babe- "more, more, more"  
With a rebel yell- "more, more, more"**

Vinnie cared about her but, he made the mistake of calling her "Harley" one time and she knew he wasn't completely over his girlfriend. Modo was loving in his own big brother sort of way but, she felt as though he was way too over protective of her and that drove her crazy. And Throttle, well, he was charming and most of the time acted like a gentleman but, he still had Carbine.

 **He lives in his own heaven  
Collects it to go from the seven eleven  
Well he's out all night to collect a fare  
Just so long, just so long it don't mess up his hair.**

"Why can't I find the perfect man?" Charley snarled as she slipped into the bath water and grabbed an old wash cloth.

 **I walked the world with you, babe  
A thousand miles with you  
I dried your tears of pain, babe  
A million times for you**

It had been so long since she had dated anyone that she wasn't even sure she could. She tried a couple of times to at least meet of for coffee with a couple of potential suitors but, one look at her biker friends at a distance was enough to deter them from a second date.

 **I'd sell my soul for you babe  
For money to burn with you  
I'd give you all, and have none, babe  
Just to, just to, just to, to have you here by me**

Deep down in her heart, she knew that she would never be able to date a human male again. She might as well resign herself to the fact that all she would be able to date were Martian males. She didn't even know if they were even sexually compatible due to the fact that she had never seen one of them naked.

 **Because**

Wait, take that back, she had seen Throttle in a pair of boxers drinking a cup of coffee at the scoreboard. He immediately saw Charley and grabbed a pair of pants. He also apologized, thinking that he had embarrassed her with him waking up slightly aroused. That was the last time she had caught him, or any of them, with their pants off.

 **In the midnight hour she cried- "more, more, more"  
With a rebel yell she cried- "more, more, more"  
In the midnight hour babe- "more, more, more"  
With a rebel yell she cried "more, more, more"  
More, more, more.**

She still hoped to catch Throttle again without his pants on. For research purposes only.

 **Oh yeah little baby  
She want more  
More, more, more, more, more.**

She did inform Carbine about accidentally seeing Throttle in his boxers and about the look on his face. Carbine laughed so hard that she fell off the stool. That's when she told Charley, that for all of Throttle's macho male bravado, he embarrassed easily when he was caught in what he felt was thought was a compromising position. And being caught in his boxers, with a partial erection, in front of someone who's not his girlfriend, is classified one of those times.

 **Oh yeah little angel  
She want more  
More, more, more, more. **

Squeezing some of the sweet scented gel onto her cloth, she inhaled its luxurious fragrance as she scrubbed her skin. She hoped that after she finished bathing that she would feel more like a human being instead of a wrench jokey who had just finished an entire day's worth of work in grease and oil.

Charley spent almost thirty minutes scrubbing her skin until it was a pale pink shade and all the dirt and grease was off her skin. Then, she scrubbed her hair and scalp until it felt clean and actually squeaked. Unplugging the tub, Charley stepped out and grabbed an old towel that had definitely seen better days but was still usable in her book.

Climbing up the ladder, she saw that her room was under some control as far as being clean goes. Her clean clothes were hung up and put away. Her bed was made, even though she could use some new sheets and pillowcases. Maybe some new pillows wouldn't hurt either. The sparse furniture was dusted and her floor was clean.

Pulling a tee shirt out of one of her draws, she thought about how nice it would be to have something sexy to wear to bed along with a handsome man to show it off to. Dropping her towel to the floor, she looked at herself in the mirror and thought about the nightgown in her latest Victoria's Secret® catalog and how much she really wanted an excuse to buy it. Unfortunately, she didn't have one and couldn't even come up with a logical reason to spend that kind of money on something that she wasn't about to wear.

After throwing on her tee shirt, Charley climbed down the ladder and went to the kitchen only to be greeted with a pile of dirty dishes that Vinnie was suppose to do and a trash can overflowing with trash that Modo was suppose to take out. There were multiple motorcycle magazines sprawled across the table with several on the floor that Throttle was suppose to pick up and put back into the garage for other customers to look through.

Letting out an exasperated growl, Charley resigned herself to cleaning up their mess before being able to have dinner. It took her another forty-five minutes to get the kitchen back under control and the only thing that Charley wanted to eat was a microwavable meal for one and some hot tea.

Scowling at her pathetic looking meal, Charley wolfed down her dinner and slowly drank her tea. Tossing the box into the trash, she walked into the living room with her cup of tea and sat down on the couch. Placing the cup onto the coffee table, Charley grabbed the blanket from the back of couch, turned on the T.V., and just laid there. It wasn't long before her eyelids felt heavy and she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.

She just prayed that tomorrow would be a better day.

* * *

 **I know it's few weeks after Valentine's day and I hope everyone enjoyed the beginning. Obviously, this story is going to have an M rating on it. Any and all reviews are welcome. If something needs an explanation or some clarification please feel free to let me know. I am right now trying to work on two stories that are already up and this new one. So, that makes three stories that I'm in the midst of doing and I know I am bound to get them bollixed up somewhere along the lines. But, this story will end up being shorter than my others.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: I doubt that**

As Carbine pulled up into the scoreboard and turned off her bike, she could hear the sound of Throttle, Modo, and Vinnie yelling at a game they were watching on the T.V. She also heard the sound of cans being tossed at the garbage can and missing it completely.

Walking into the scoreboard, Carbine just shook her head and understood more now than she did when she spoke with Charley. She spent more time cleaning up after these three slobs than they ever did in taking care of her.

"Hey, the General's here!" Vinnie stated when he saw the scowl on Carbine's face. He quickly shut his mouth when he realized she was looking at the three of them and it was a look of death in her eyes.

"Hey Carbine! What's going on?" Throttle inquired as he turned the television off and got up off the severely dilapidated couch.

"I see what the problem is!" Carbine attempted to remain reasonably composed as she looked balefully at her lackluster troops.

"What! We didn't do anything?" Vinnie exclaimed in complete confusion.

"That's the problem! You three haven't done squat!" Carbine barked as she pointed to the trash can that was overflowing with root bottles and cans along with their trash. There were even some flies starting to congregate around their mountain of trash.

"Well, it's a tough job being this studly and taking care of those ugly fish heads" Vinnie stated as he stood up and flexed his muscles.

"No excuses. If Charley can take care of all three of you, plus the garage and the scoreboard all by herself. Then then the three of you should be perfectly able to take care of scoreboard and Charley" Carbine was planning on doing a whole lot of spleen venting before the night was out and those three mice were on going to be on the receiving end of it.

"Huh?" Modo finally piped up and realized that he needed to stand up for his other two friends. He could tell by Carbine's expression that she was beyond upset with them and apparently it had something to do with Charley.

"Oh! About time you decided to join the program" Carbine snapped at Modo, causing him to look sheepishly at her.

"Whoa! What's going on here?" Throttle finally figured out that Carbine was mad and it had nothing to do a some mission that she had for them.

"I'm just getting started. Where should I begin? Get this scoreboard cleaned up and then I am going to inform you of what you three are going to be doing for your latest mission" Carbine growled as she stared at them.

"Hey Throttle! Do something. She can't come in here and boss us around" Vinnie whined as he looked at Throttle.

"Let's just do what she says and then she can tell us what our new mission is" Throttle sighed, knowing that if they didn't get the scoreboard cleaned fast enough they would never hear the end of Carbine's wrath.

It took the three mice over an hour to get the entire scoreboard completely cleaned up and by the time they finished, Carbine had finally calmed down enough to talk to them in a normal tone of voice. They were also very exhausted from having to clean their own pig sty up. As they each grabbed another can of root beer, they looked at Carbine who seemed very pleased that they did what they were suppose to do. All three of them collapsed onto the couch and waited for Carbine to give them their mission.

"Okay. It's done" Throttle stated as he took a swig from his can and then looked at Carbine.

"Well, here's the mission and I can almost guarantee that you three will flunk it" Carbine seemed very sure of herself as she spoke to her troops.

"We always pass" Vinnie rebuffed as he leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling.

"This one, I'm sure you won't" Carbine smiled, knowing that this was exactly how to hook them into what she had planned.

"Dude, are you even hearing this?" Modo questioned as he looked over at Throttle.

"Yeah. What's the mission?" Throttle inquired as he looked at Carbine.

"Actually, it's more along the lines of a bet that I'm going to win" Carbine had the biggest grin on her face as she looked at them.

"A bet!" all three of them exclaimed as the stared at her.

"Oh yeah!" Vinnie was all about winning this one.

"Not if I win" Modo chimed in, knowing that he had to beat Vinnie.

"What's the bet?' Throttle asked.

"That not a single one of you have a romantic bone in your body" Carbine raised the challenge as she smiled.

"I'm lost" Vinnie said as he scratched the top of his head.

"Here's the deal. Valentine's Day is next week and Charley hasn't had a good time in a long while" Carbine started to explain.

"Oh yeah. I'm so asking Charley out" Vinnie exclaimed before even hearing the rest of what Carbine had to say.

"Let me finish. As I said before, I don't think either of you know how to romance a girl. So, this is the deal. Each of you will take Charley out on a real date. Each of you has to come up with a completely different date. No copying each other. If, by some miracle, you happen to make it the most romantic date Charley has ever had, I will promise the lucky mouse and Charley a date on Mars at the best restaurant in town on Valentine's Day. I will be asking Charley how each of the dates went" Carbine said as she thought about how she would use a grading scale to see if either of the passed or failed.

"Aw man. I am so winning this bet" Vinnie exclaimed as he began to think about what he was going to do for Charley to win.

"So not happening. I got this one in the bag" Modo exclaimed as he thought about what he was going to do.

"How do we know who's going first?" Throttle asked the ultimate question. He just hoped it wasn't him. His preference was for going last so he wouldn't make the same mistakes as Modo and Vinnie.

"Draw straws. Longest piece goes first and shortest piece goes last" Carbine stated as she cut a straw into three uneven pieces and then put them into her helmet. She shook her helmet around to scramble up the lengths and made sure that they didn't peek when they pulled a straw piece out.

"Let's see" Carbine directed as each of them held up their piece.

"Looks like I go first" Modo stated excitedly.

"Dude, I'm still second. That means Throttle's last" Vinnie chuckled as he looked at Throttle's short straw before falling onto the floor.

"That means we get all the good choices" Modo laughed.

"Looks like one us is going to win this one" Vinnie laughed as he put an arm around Modo, satisfied that he was going to beat Throttle again and hopefully Modo as well.

"The dates start the day after tomorrow. It will take place over the course of three days. Modo gets one day. Vinnie gets one and Throttle gets one. Also, no asking Charley for help" Carbine said, hoping that would give each of them enough time to figure out what they were going to do.

She knew that Vinnie and Modo were right about when it came to all the good dating ideas and that this was not going to be Throttle's strong suit. But, knowing them as well as she did, they were all going to lose this deal and she would get the last laugh.

She could hear Vinnie and Modo playfully picking on each other about who was going to win. Looking over at Throttle, she saw that he remained quiet as he walked over to his bike.

"Just going for a ride. I'm not going to cheat" Throttle said as he mounted his bike and decided to clear his head by riding over to the garage. He just remembered that he had left a mess of magazines in the kitchen that she had asked him to clean up and he had forgotten because, they had to deal with Limburger. After cleaning up the scoreboard, he now felt bad for leaving a mess at the garage that Charley would have to clean up.

* * *

I hope everyone enjoyed this second chapter. I should get another one up tomorrow. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for the upcoming chapter, please feel free to speak your mind. Many cyber hugs to everyone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Brainstorming**

As soon as Throttle arrived at the garage, he noticed that all the lights were out. He knew that it meant that Charley was asleep. So, he had to be really quiet while he picked up his mess. Using the spare key that she had given each of them, Throttle quietly unlocked the kitchen door, walked in, and then softly re-locked the door.

Turning on the kitchen light, he noticed that Charley had already cleaned up all their messes that they had left. Sighing heavily, he knew Carbine was right. They were slobs and did take advantage of Charley when it came to cleaning. He knew exactly where their bad habit came from. Cleaning had never been stressed upon in their households. The females always did that chore. It wasn't as though they hadn't been shown, it was just never stressed upon the importance of it.

Now, he understood how much energy it took out of a woman to keep up with everything on the home front as well as take care of them. Carbine was also right about the fact that Charley hadn't had a good time in a long while. She did try a couple of coffee dates with a few guys and always one of them showed up to spy on the potential suitor.

Walking into the living room, Throttle almost turned the light on until he saw a coffee cup on the table. Using the limited kitchen light, he saw that Charley had fallen asleep on the couch. Shaking his head and letting out a soft sigh, he smiled. He knew the only reason why she collapsed on the couch was because she was completely exhausted from cleaning up their mess in the kitchen.

"Come on, Charley. Let's get you to bed" Throttle whispered into her ear and then gently lifted her up off the couch. He felt her arm wrap around his shoulders as the blanket fell to the floor. Using his tail to support her legs, Throttle climbed up the ladder, using one hand, and then put Charley on to her bed. Carefully, he pulled the blankets over the top of her and watched as she curled up into a ball. It was then that he noticed her pillows weren't as full as they used to be and that her sheets were looking a little worn out.

Smiling, he was about to climb back down the ladder when he spotted an open magazine filled with pictures of half dressed human girls. Picking it up, he figured it would give him something to read while he checked to see if there was anything that needed to be done.

After reaching the bottom of the ladder, with the magazine if hand, Throttle spotted a pile of dirty shop towels in a laundry basket. He decided to at least do some laundry for Charley since she did theirs most of the time. He got lucky enough one time when Charley showed him how to wash clothes from start to finish.

Looking into the washing machine, he saw she had some clothes already in there. After a quick examination, he realized that she hadn't sorted them at all. Pulling all the clothes out, Throttle sorted them into smaller piles and realized there was enough space in each pile for him to wash the clothes he was wearing. Stripping out of all of his clothes and tossing his wallet onto the couch, he sorted his stuff into their appropriate piles and then started up the first load. He was grateful that the machines were quiet enough so as not to wake up Charley.

After that, he went into the bathroom and opted to take a shower to wash all the filth out of his fur. Looking around the bathroom, he spotted his body wash next to hers in the shower. Taking a moment, he smelled her shower gel and was amazed at how good the scent was. Then he recalled that it was the same scent that she had on when he took her to bed. He examined the bottle and realized that she was almost out. Throttle made a mental note to get her some more because, it was obvious that she really like it.

He looked under the sink and found a clean pair of black sweat pants that Charley had been nice enough to purchase for him. She had also bought Modo and Vinnie a pair as well. She was also smart enough to put their initial on the inside tag. He chuckled as he recalled the time when she handed them each a bag with the pants in them and they each thought she had been silly to make sure they had something to sleep in when they spent the night at the garage. Throttle learn very quickly how comfy they were the first time he had spent the night a week later when all his clothes were in the wash and that was all he had to wear. He remembered asking Charley where all his pants were and she tossed the sweatpants at him, informing him that all his clothes were in the wash and wet. He recalled being in the bathroom, naked, when he put them on and realized that they were going to be his go to clothes at the garage.

Smiling, he placed the pants onto the toilet and started up the shower. Climbing into the shower, Throttle grabbed his body wash and scrubbed it into his fur, making an attempt to feel more like a Martian mouse and less like someone who had just spent the entire day fighting Plutarkian scum bags and blowing up their buildings. Not that he minded it but, there were other things he wanted to be doing. Such as, working on his bike or attempting to get some sleep.

He got out of the shower and saw one of her towels hanging up. Grabbing it, he dried himself off as best he could, given the fact that his fur liked to hold onto water. He put his sweatpants on and then took the towel out to the laundry pile. Before dropping it, he noticed that it wasn't plush like the store towels he had seen that were brand new. Sighing heavily, he dropped it onto the pile.

He saw that the washing machine was done with the first load, so he pulled the clothes out and tossed them into the dryer. He took the clothes that needed to be bleached and tossed them into the washing machine along with the chemicals needed to clean them. Looking over, he saw that only the shop towels were left that needed to be cleaned.

Throttle made his way through the garage and did a pick up of anything that wasn't where it was suppose to be and then wiped down items that were a little dusty. He grabbed the cup off the coffee table and brought it to the kitchen. He quickly washed and rinsed it off and then put it away.

By the time he made his round through the garage it was almost midnight and the clothes in the dryer and washing machine were done. Grabbing a laundry basket, he put Charley's dried clothes into the basket and placed his onto the coffee table. Taking the load out of the washing machine and tossing them into the dryer gave Throttle a sense of accomplishment. He then dumped the shop towels into the machine and tossed in a scoopful of borax to help cut the grease before starting the machine.

Making his way back into the living room, Throttle turned a light on and sat down on the couch. Reaching over to the coffee table, he grabbed the magazine and saw that Charley had circled a particular piece of lingerie in the size she needed. He had to admit, he wouldn't mind seeing her in it. It matched her eye color beautifully. It was a short satin and lace nightgown with tiny spaghetti straps and a plunging open back. The nightgown got him to thinking if there was a matching bathrobe to go with it. He looked through the book and found a kimono, in white, that Charley had also circled.

As he sat there thinking about everything that Charley had sacrificed for them, he began to wonder why none of them saw it. Then it hit him. She loved them no matter what they did and they loved her for everything that she did for them. It's just they weren't very good at showing their appreciation of her.

As he thought about it all, Throttle realized that he needed to make a list instead of depending on his brain to remember everything. Standing up, he walked into the kitchen and over to the draw where she kept her notepad and pens. He made up his mind to write a lengthy list of everything that he felt as though Charley sacrificed and whatever Modo and Vinnie didn't do, he would do. No matter what the cost was.

In his mind, she deserved more than what they had given to her. They were three ship wrecked mouse troopers from Mars who had turned her world upside down and inside out over the past several years. Out of the three of them, Throttle was the one who volunteered to do odd jobs in the area as to be able to have some cash in his back pocket. Vinnie and Modo did their fair share of work around the garage but didn't bother to clean after themselves.

Throttle brought the pad of paper and pen back into the living and laid them down on the coffee table. He went over to the washer and dryer and found that they were both done. After separating his clothes from hers, Throttle put the shop towels into the dryer and then brought the laundry basket up to Charley's bedroom. Then, he tossed the rest of his clothes onto the table and then sat down to work on a decent list that would hopefully make her very happy.

He didn't care about the date on Mars that Carbine promised the winner. He just wanted to put a smile on Charley's face.

After finishing off his temporary list, Throttle put the piece of paper into his wallet and then placed the notepad and pen back into the kitchen draw. He didn't want Charley to know what he was up to. Nor did he want Vinnie and Modo to know. This was going to be a surprise and he had the cash to make it really big for Charley.

He turned the television on and dropped the volume all the way down. Grabbing the blanket off the floor, Throttle curled up on the couch and fell asleep watching static across the screen.

* * *

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Many cyber hugs to all the readers and reviewers.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: A date with Modo**

The next morning, Throttle awoke to the sound of the phone ringing and Charley racing to grab it. Peeking his head over the side of the couch, she saw Charley was only wearing a tee shirt that barely covered her bottom and a set of long, shapely legs peeking out of the bottom of the shirt. Smiling to himself, he thought about how lucky he was to have the view that Vinnie kept trying to get.

"Last Chance Garage" he heard Charley say as she sat down on one of her stools.

"Oh! Hey Modo!" Charley exclaimed.

"Tomorrow night? Six o'clock?" she questioned just to be sure she was hearing Modo correctly. She sounded very confused as to why Modo was asking her out on a date. She never thought of him as any more than a big brother.

"Yeah. Sure. Do you want to meet up at the scoreboard or here at the garage?" Charley asked as she twirled her auburn hair around her finger.

"Okay. See you tomorrow night" Charley stated as she hung up the phone. She was still reeling from the fact that Modo actually asked her out on a date. He didn't tell her where they were going but, he did mention dinner and a movie. From what she knew about Modo's taste, it was going to be casual dining and probably that new James Bond flick.

"Gotta a date with the bug guy, huh?" Throttle questioned with a chuckle as he sat up on the couch.

"Throttle! You startled me!" Charley squealed when she heard his voice and then turned around to see that he had been there on the couch the entire time.

"Oops" was all he said as he stood up and walked into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee for them.

"By the way, nice legs" Throttle commented and watched as Charley's face flushed a bright shade of pink.

"Oh!" Charley groaned as she attempted to pull the shirt down over her bare bottom. She knew she was going to have to get him back for this. But, for the time being, she was just going to throw on a pair of sweatpants to cover her bottom half.

Throttle watched as Charley made a valiant attempt at climbing the ladder without showing off the fact that she had nothing on underneath. But, to no avail, part of her bottom was revealed when she reached the top and it left him with a pretty nice morning view. He laughed out loud when she realized he was still starring at her and that he had seen more than she wanted him to.

"You are so dead when I get back down" Charley grumbled to him as she hurried to get some bottoms on before she faced Throttle again. As she pulled the sweatpants on, she realized that her dirty clothes from yesterday were in a laundry basket in her room. Shaking her head in disbelief, she knew deep in her gut that Throttle was the one who had washed her clothes.

"I know because, you always keep your promises" Throttle said as he grabbed a cup of coffee for him and Charley. He never knew that she could embarrass so easily until today.

 **If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you.  
When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.**

"Question. Did you do the laundry last night?" Charley asked as climbed back down the ladder.

"Yeah" Throttle stated, feeling unsure if he had done something wrong.

"Thank you" Charley said with a smile and then gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Crap. I forgot about the shop towels. They're still in the dryer" Throttle mentioned as he handed her a cup of coffee.

 **Kind woman, I give you my all, Kind woman, nothing more.**

"You even did the shop towels while I slept?" Charley was completely flabbergasted that Throttle actually did the laundry.

"Yeah. I actually came back last night because I remembered leaving a mess in the kitchen that I should have cleaned up but, I forgot" Throttle didn't make any excuses for his bad manners.

"Oh Throttle. That's so sweet" Charley's gaze softened as she watched him pull the towels out of the dryer and put them into another basket.

 **Little drops of rain whisper of the pain, tears of loves lost in the days gone by.  
My love is strong, with you there is no wrong,  
together we shall go until we die. My, my, my.  
An inspiration is what you are to me, inspiration, look... see. **

"Charley. I know the guys and I haven't been the best house guests but, we really do appreciate everything that you have done for us and for Mars" Throttle stated as he took the basket and sat it next to her tool box.

 **And so today, my world it smiles, your hand in mine, we walk the miles,  
Thanks to you it will be done, for you to me are the only one.  
Happiness, no more be sad, happiness...I'm glad.  
If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you.  
When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me. **

"I know that" Charley said as she placed a hand on his arm and smiled.

"You up for some breakfast?" she inquired as she started to make her way to the kitchen.

"Waffles?" he was hoping she would say yes.

"Oh course" she nodded with a large grin on her face.

"Yes!" he was excited. He loved it when she made breakfast and he didn't have to share with the other two. He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she began to make breakfast.

"Do you want any help?" Throttle offered as he came to stand beside her at the counter.

"Thanks. Could you get the eggs, butter, and milk out of the fridge?" she had every intention of taking advantage of his offers to help her.

"Sure, babe" the words rolled off his tongue before he even had a chance to think about what he had just said.

"Silly question. Wasn't I asleep on the couch last night?" she could have sworn she was but maybe she was that exhausted that she only dreamed it.

"Actually...you were. I just carried you to bed" he saw no point in hiding the fact that he had his hands and tail on her nearly naked body last night.

"Oh" she felt the heat creeping up into her cheeks as she refocused her energy and mind back onto breakfast. She should have known that she wasn't dreaming about being carried by Throttle to bed her own bed. She opted not to inquire about how he managed to climb up the ladder with her in his arms. She could only assume his tail was involved somehow.

As he handed her the ingredients that she had requested, he couldn't help but notice how the blush on her cheeks made her look less upset over the whole thing. He watched as she began mixing all the items together and the way she nibbled her slightly fuller lower lip. It made him wonder if this was the first time he had actually looked at Charley and finally saw that she was really attractive. It also made him think about why he didn't see it before. He knew she easy on the eyes but, what he didn't know was that she was more than that.

Had he been blind the entire time he's known her?

After the waffles were done, Charley grabbed two waffles and put some strawberries on top with a little bit of chocolate syrup and Throttle grabbed six and poured maple syrup on top of his, making sure to fill up all the holes. Sitting at the kitchen table, they ate in silence and relished the feeling of peace inside the garage.

Throttle knew that Thursdays were pretty quiet at the garage so, Charley would have an easy day today. Tomorrow, being Friday, was going to be a different story. He just hoped that Modo was understanding enough and didn't expect too much out of her after a long day at work. He knew Saturday was going to be Vinnie's day and Sunday was his.

He knew he would just have to wait and see what his two friends did for Charley before he finalized his plan.

* * *

 **I hope everyone is enjoying the direction of this story. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask and I will try to answer them in the upcoming chapters. Many cyber hugs to all readers and reviewers.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Bachelor #1-Modo**

 **FRIDAY AFTERNOON**

Today was the first of Charley's three date nights. She ended up laughing when Carbine finally told her what the deal was with the three heroic mice. She got to have a date with each of them and they were all going to be graded. Just like in school. Then, at the end, whoever had the highest score above a ninety, Carbine was going to pay for Charley and her date to have dinner at the most exceptional restaurant on Mars.

They were going to be graded on ten different areas and on a scale of one to ten. One being the worst and ten being the best. The areas being judged were; location, flirtation, attire, non-flirting conversation, behavior, being asked out, uniqueness, creativity, odor, and the bike. Carbine was polite enough to let her know that the dates would go in the order of Modo, Vinnie, and then Throttle. The guys knew that they were going to be judged for this. They just didn't know on what.

Charley was actually looking forward to having three different dates with three different guys. Neither she nor Carbine knew what the guys had planned but, none of them would be identical. And, they were not allowed to ask her for any help or advice.

As she finished showering up, Charley was all smiles as she dried herself off. Grabbing a can of mousse from under the sink, she squirted a large ball of foam into her hand, put the container back under the sink, and then rubbed her hands together. Taking her hands, she ran her foam covered fingers through her hair, trying to evenly distribute the product, and then scrunched it up, reviving her limp auburn curls.

After contending with her hair, she slung her hair back and scrunched the top portion of her hair. She then rinsed the remaining mousse off her hands and then re-situated the towel before heading out of the bathroom. Looking over at the wall clock, Charley let out a heavy sigh, knowing that she only had fifteen minutes before Modo was suppose to be there.

"Welp, I better get dressed and see if I actually have time to put on some make up" Charley grumbled as she climbed up the ladder, into her bedroom, and looked into her closet for something suitable to wear out on a long overdue date. Shaking her head, she let out a frustrated sigh at the mere notion of having nothing new or pretty to wear.

"I guess you'll have to do" Charley grumbled as she pulled out an ankle length floral print cotton dress that had short sleeves. A long row of buttons ran down the front of the dress with a tie at the back and there was ruching just under the bust down to the waist.

As she put the dress on, she began to think about wearing her brown boots but, opted for a pair of short strappy heels that she hadn't worn in a really long time. After buttoning the dress, Charley reached into the closet and grabbed her shoes. As she put the shoes on, she heard Modo's bike pull up to the garage and rev the engine. It was at that moment that Charley knew this date was going to bomb but, maybe not completely.

 **Oh! Demolition, demolition  
Demolition, demolition  
Tied to the tracks and the train's fast coming  
Strapped to the wing with the engine running  
You say that this wasn't in your plan  
And don't mess around with the demolition man**

Grabbing her winter jacket, she carefully climbed down the ladder. She heard Modo open the garage door and walked in.

"Howdy Charley" Modo stated before realizing that Charley was actually dolled up with her hair done and wearing a dress.

 **Tied to a chair, and the bomb is ticking  
This situation was not of your picking  
You say that this wasn't in your plan  
And don't mess around with the demolition man**

"Hey big guy" Charley said as she pulled her jacket on and prayed that she wasn't going to freeze her ass off on his bike. She noticed that he was dressed in his usual attire, making her feel overdressed and wanting to change. She quickly changed her mind on that because, she wanted to feel somewhat attractive for one night.

"You ready?" Modo inquired.

 **I'm a walking nightmare, an arsenal of doom  
I kill conversation as I walk into the room  
I'm a three line whip, I'm the sort of thing they ban  
I'm a walking disaster, I'm a demolition man  
Demolition, demolition  
Demolition, demolition**

"Yep. Let's go" Charley stated as she got ready to open the door but, Modo being a gentleman, ended up doing that for her. He even escort her to the bike and helped her on. _Maybe it won't be so bad. Modo is a gentleman and does know how to treat women with respect._

"You hungry?" Modo asked as he mounted his bike.

 **You come to me like a moth to the flame  
It's love you need but I don't play that game  
'Cause you could be my greatest fan  
But I'm nobody's friend, I'm a demolition man**

"Starving. It was a long day" she said as she wrapped her arms around Modo's waist and pressed herself as close as she could to him. The night was cool and she figured it would get colder but, she wasn't about to let that worry her. The bikes always kept her warm enough in the coldest of temperatures.

"Ok. We'll go grab a bite to eat and then go to the movies" Modo knew that Charley, his dear friend, had put in a lot of hours at the garage and she was way overdue for some rest and relaxation. This was the least he could do for her is take her out for a bite to eat and a movie. She had done a lot for them and she never once asked for anything in return. He had felt like crap ever since he had the chance to sit down and think about what Carbine was actually telling them about their friend. **  
I'm a walking nightmare, an arsenal of doom  
I kill conversation as I walk into the room  
I'm a three line whip, I'm the sort of thing they ban  
I'm a walking disaster, I'm a demolition man  
Demolition, demolition  
Demolition, demolition**

As they drove to a small hot stand near the movie theater, Charley thought about how tired she really was but, was not about to allow that get in the way of having a good time. She wasn't about to allow any thoughts of Plutarkians or Limburger get in the way of her night. Or, for that matter, the next two date nights. **  
Tied to the tracks and the train's fast coming  
Strapped to the wing with the engine running  
You say that this wasn't in your plan  
And don't mess around with the demolition man  
Tied to a chair, and the bomb is ticking  
This situation was not of your picking  
You say that this wasn't in your plan  
And don't mess around with the demolition man**

"Here we are. They have some really good dogs here" Modo was excited to have Charley try them as he dismounted the bike, leaving it running so Charley would stay warm, and walked over to the stand.

"How many do you want?" he asked.

"Two dogs with everything and some chili cheese fries please" Charley had a craving for some fries smothered in chili and cheese that plagued her all day.

"Ok" Modo agreed and began to place their food order, all the while trying to make sure that nobody popped up out of nowhere to ruin the evening. He knew he should relax because obviously Charley was but, the war had done that to each of them. Making them hyper-vigilant to their surroundings, even if nothing was going on.

P.O.V.

Throttle was sitting in the scoreboard kitchen writing a letter. It had been a long time since he had to remember things that his parents had taught him. Now was one of those times. He had a dream last night about his father yelling at him for not following proper courtship protocol. He awoke from that dream and realized that his father was right and immediately set to work on correcting the wrongs that he was getting ready to commit.

"Hey young punk!" came the sound of Stoker as he waltzed through the door and noticed Throttle was completely immersed in whatever he was doing.

"Oh, hey old man" Throttle acknowledged as he finished up the last of his rough draft letter.

"Whatcha working on there?" Stoker asked as he pulled up a chair and sat down across from Throttle.

"I just want to do the right thing" Throttle sighed as he laid his head down on the counter, feeling defeated by a letter.

"Mind?" Stoker asked as he picked up the letter and read over it.

"This is a letter of declaration. You're serious?" Stoker was in shock. He knew that Throttle had feelings for Charley but, he didn't think it was anything more that admiration for her mechanic skills.

"Yeah. As I said, I just want to do it right" Throttle grumbled because, he knew he was going to have to rewrite the letter in formal script and fancy paper. Then, he was going to have to have someone deliver it to Charley and explain it to her.

"Dude, this is old school. As in, it's older than me. I didn't even think any of our kind still knew how to do this" Stoker was still amazed that Throttle, of all mice, would know this ancient custom.

"I know. My dad wrote one to my mom before they started courting and he taught it to me. He said I better not forget or else he would haunt me for the rest of my life" Throttle growled as he stood up and went over to his bike. Opening up the side storage, he pulled out an old box that looked as though it had seen better days. Bringing the box over to the counter, Throttle sighed as he opened it up and saw that his father's entire set of formal writing tools were still in tact. There was even some paper leftover that had been used for his mother's letter.

"Do you even remember how to use it?" Stoker joked as he watched Throttle set up the ancient set of writing implements.

"It wasn't that long ago" Throttle knew it had been long enough for him to need some practice before writing the full letter out.

"So, who's going to deliver it?" he asked.

"I was hoping you would old man. I wouldn't trust anyone else with it" Throttle chuckled as he put some water in a plastic cup. Opening up the glass vial, Throttle saw the copper colored ink powder down at the bottom. There wasn't much of it left but, there was just enough to write this letter. Going drop by drop, he slowly added and mixed the water into the glass bottle until it was just the right consistency.

"I would be honored. Punk" Stoker knew the rules and regulations in regards to the letters and was more than willing to school Charley on it. Especially since Throttle was going through a lot of work for her and asked him to play the messenger for him.

It took Throttle almost an hour to write out the letter. Stoker was impressed that Throttle actually knew how to write in formal script and that he was willing to go to great lengths to make his intentions known to Charley.

"Can you deliver this in the morning? Charley's out with Modo tonight" Throttle asked as he sealed the letter with a wax seal and then handed it to Stoker.

"No problem" Stoker took the letter and immediately placed it inside his bike. The last thing anyone needed to know was about the letter's contents. It was only to be known to the writer and the receiver.

Stoker watched as Throttle practically drug himself to bed. He decided to stay awake a little while longer to see how Modo's date went.

P.O.V.

After enjoying a round of hot dogs, Charley and Modo went to the movies, grabbed two large pop corns and drinks. After walking into theater, Charley suggested that they sit in the back row. Modo agreed in order to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

Holding the pop corn between her legs, Charley enjoyed the peace until more people starting showing up. But, she was trying not to let that bother her. It wasn't until she saw Vinnie show up and sat in the front row.

"Really?" Modo was getting ready to see red when he saw the back of Vinnie's head.

"I don't think he saw us. Just let it go big guy" Charley placed a comforting arm on Modo's metal arm and she immediately felt the tension draining out of him.

"You're right" Modo agreed and was absolutely thrilled when the lights went off and the movie started.

Deep down, Charley was ready to bolt. She couldn't believe that Vinnie had that much audacity to show up but, she wasn't sure if it was coincidence or if he was actually spying. Either way, she knew that his time was tomorrow night because, he actually came by the garage that morning and asked her out in person. Instantly, she wanted to choke him with his own tail but, she promised herself that she would give all three of them a chance. She said 'yes' and he told her what she needed to wear. Something sexy. Really sexy was the emphasis and something about going dancing.

As the movie played, Modo chatted throughout the flick about how awesome Bond was and how much he wanted to do more Bond-type activities. Charley, patiently sat there and listened to Modo rattle on about the movie and throughout the entire movie. There were times she just rolled her eyes into the back of her head as the night wore on. She was more than a little happy to have the movie finally come to an end.

Modo and Charley quickly excited the room before Vinnie had a chance to see them and make a nuisance out of himself. Before they took a step outside the building, Modo helped Charley put her jacket on and he made sure to throw their drinks and bowls into the trash. He held the door open and escorted her to his bike. Modo assisted Charley onto the back of the bike before climb on board. She burrowed herself against the mouse's back to shield herself against the cold Chicago breeze.

It wasn't long before they were back at the garage and Modo assisted Charley back into her home. He knew she was really tired so they said their 'good nights' and 'good byes' rather quickly and afterwards Modo drove back to the scoreboard, curious as to whether he won or not. He knew that none of them would know until after Throttle had his date with Charley. He still felt as though he scored pretty good.

As Charley stripped out of her dress, she thought that Modo did pretty good, given the fact that Modo was being himself and she should have known that Vinnie would show up pretend not to notice anything. She caught him several times looking up them with a grin on his face. He must have thought that he was going to win this competition. Well, she had another thing for him. He just lost some points for being a jerk. She just hoped that he could make up for his nosy blunder with an amazing date. She had her doubts given his dress requirement out of her.

Tossing her dress onto the bedroom floor, she sat down on the edge of the bed and removed her very uncomfortable shoes. Charley, unceremoniously, tossed the painful shoes back into the closet and prayed she wouldn't have to wear them ever again, or, at least for a good long while.

She flopped, backwards, onto her bed and wished she didn't need to grab some warm clothes. But, a shiver ran down her spine causing her nipples to harden against the inside of her bra. Groaning, she stood up, walked over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Quickly, she removed her bra and panties and replaced them with warm clothing before crawling under the blankets. Closing her eyes, she ignored the dull throb in the back of her calves and quickly fell asleep in a warm ball wrapped up in blankets.

* * *

 **Sorry it took me a couple of days to finish this. I hope everyone is enjoying this story so far. Many CYBER HUGS to yankee71, kittycat0521, and any guests who have been absolutely wonderful with their reviews and have really helped me to stay positive. If anyone has any questions or concerns or even something that you would like to see in the upcoming chapters or even in one of my other stories, please feel free to inquire.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 7: Bachelor# 2 – Vinnie**

 **SATURDAY**

Charley awoke to the sound of a bike's engine and knew that it was Stoker. Looking over at her clock, she saw that it was eight o'clock and groaned. She didn't take any one of those Martian mice for being early birds. Unless they needed something. That's the only thing that she could think of was that Stoker needed her help with something.

Sitting up, Charley rubbed her lower back and could feel all the sore muscles not wanting to budge. She had been bent over an engine for half her work day giving it an overhaul. Standing up, she felt a few of her bones popping and snapping. In her mind, her body starting sounding like a box of Rice Krispies cereal.

Charley made her way down the ladder and to the front door. She chuckled when she saw Stoker standing outside and then prayed he wasn't going to ask her out. She wasn't able to take too many more dates with her mouse friends. Upon opening the door, Charley noticed an envelope in his hands.

"Hey Stoker. Come on in" Charley stated and watched as the older mouse made his way into the garage.

"Hey gorgeous" Stoker was actually nervous about delivering the letter but, he knew it had to be done.

"What's up? Is something wrong with the bike?" she inquired with a small smile.

"No. Bike's fine. I actually have a delivery for you" he stated as he handed her the sealed envelope and she took it.

"Wow. I didn't think you guys wrote letters" Charley chuckled as she looked at the backside of the letter and saw a wax seal. Turning it over, she found her name had been expertly written in calligraphy. She didn't know of anyone who still wrote like this.

"It's from Throttle. He wanted me to deliver it to you and answer any questions you might have about it" Stoker said as he sauntered into the kitchen and found a couple of root beers in the fridge. Grabbing one, he cracked it open and took a big swig.

"Throttle wrote this!" Charley was shocked that he would even take the time to do it. She was nervous about what it was going to say.

"Let's just say, I haven't seen or heard of this being done in a long time" he stated as he sat down on her couch and waited for her to read the letter.

"Do you know what it says?" she asked as she sat down on the opposite side of the couch.

"No. It's only meant for your eyes and the person who wrote it. I'm just the delivery guy" Stoker chuckled as he watched Charley carefully open the letter. He knew Throttle wouldn't have written it if Charley wasn't that important.

"Wow" was all she could say as she began to read it:

 _Dearest Charlene Davidson,_

 _We have known each other for several years and have been friends the entire time. I know that we have joked around a few times and even flirted once or twice. Recently, I have begun to think about my feelings towards you. They have changed and become stronger. Something that I didn't think would ever happen, being that you're human and I'm Martian mouse._

 _When I saw you the other morning, I thought about how gorgeous you looked and how wonderful it has been to have you in my life as a friend. I then began to think about what it would be like to have something more. I want more than just a friendship from you Charlene. I also know that I have to give you a reason to want me as more than just a friend. These are my promises to you if you agree to be with me:_

 _I promise to pay attention to all the positive things that you do and say._

 _I promise to accept the fact that we are different and will occasionally see things from different points of view._

 _I promise to never criticize, except in joking, the things you do._

 _I promise to do my fair share and not complain when you ask me to do something._

 _I promise never to ask you to do something that I am not willing to do myself._

 _I promise to give you the best of myself and to ask of you no more than you can give._

 _I promise to respect you as your own person and to realize that your interests, desires and needs are no less important than my own._

 _I promise to share with you my time and my attention and to bring joy, strength and imagination to our relationship._

 _I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you see through the window of my world into my innermost  
fears and feelings, secrets and dreams. _

_I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face changes in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting._

 _I promise to love you in good times and bad, with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how.  
Completely and forever_

 _I know that I am a soldier and have seen and done many things that I am not proud of. I know that I have nightmares about everything that the Plutarkians have done to myself and to those I care about. Some days and nights are harder than others. I can't promise I'll always come home on time but, I will always be there for you. No matter what._

 _I don't expect you to have an immediate answer for me. I know we have this Valentine's Day project going on. I just want you to think about it. I do want a future with you. Whether it's here on Earth or there on Mars._

 _Also, will you go out with me on Sunday?_

 _Faithfully,_

 _Throttle Lamont_

As Charley finished reading the letter, she felt a tear trickle down her cheek. She couldn't believe that he had actually taken the time to write something so beautiful and heartfelt to her. Holding the paper to her chest, she looked over at Stoker and he smiled.

"What does this mean?" Charley's voice cracked as she asked Stoker for some answers.

"Whatever is in that letter is everything he feels and it's the truth" he supplied, seeing her facial expression as being a mix of happy and sad at the same time.

"I don't understand. I thought he was with Carbine" she stated.

"They broke up almost a year ago. He's had his eye on you for a while but, just never said anything" he stated.

"Oh. I never knew" Charley stated as she looked back at the letter.

"Okay, story time. Long ago, it was customary for males to write a letter to the female of their choice. It was normally given to her parents to review and then they would decide if it was a good match. Your parents aren't here for the review portion so, we skipped that part. But, delivery was normally made by a close, trustworthy friend because, the males didn't want to be shamed in front of the girl of his choice" he stated as he turned to face Charley who was completely engrossed in the story.

"Wow. I thought only the girl was suppose to read it" Charley chuckled.

"True but, they had to make sure that there was nothing sinister in it and they also wanted to know the young male's heritage. These letters are only allowed to speak the truth of a male's intentions and what his plans are. If the match sounded good the her parents, they would set up a date for them to meet and see if the feelings were mutual for his parents as well. Unfortunately, things have changed a lot in the past hundred years or more" he stated as he took another sip of root beer.

"Such as?" she inquired.

"The letters were one of the first things to go. Males started coming directly to the parents. Females would sneak out of their homes. Things like that. Throttle was raised to know how to do the letters but, when you're young and dumb you tend to do stupid things. Carbine actually asked Throttle out and his dad said it wasn't going to work because, he didn't do the right thing. Now, he finally has a clear head and he knows what he needs to do" Stoker stated as he stood up, crushed the can, and tossed it into the trash.

"Tell Throttle that I will go out with him on Sunday and ask him what we're doing. Please" Charley said as she stood up and placed the letter into a kitchen draw.

"I will. I better get going so you can do what you gotta do" Stoker stated as he left the garage and headed back to the scoreboard, happy with his role in the matchmaking process.

Charley watched as Stoker drove away. She knew, in that moment, that she had a lot to think about. She had so many questions for herself and for Throttle. She then wondered what his intentions were for Sunday.

"That's Sunday. It's Saturday and I need to worry about dealing with Vinnie" Charley grumbled as she walked into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. She was only going to be open from eleven to three today for appointments only and possible quick fixes.

Charley made herself a quick breakfast of scrabbled eggs cheese and toast with butter and honey. She ate in peace, content at not having any of the mice there eating with her. She loved each of them dearly but, sometimes, they pushed the limits of her patience.

After finishing off her breakfast, she went up to her bedroom and changed into her work clothes. After pulling on her brown boots, she heard the phone ring and practically jumped down the ladder to pick it up. She just knew it was one of the mice.

"Last Chance Garage" she spoke cheerfully into the receiver.

"Hey babe!" came the cheerful, albeit cocky sound of Vinnie's voice

"Yeah, Vin. What's up?" Charley asked, leaning against a wall.

"Just making sure we're still on for tonight, gorgeous" he asked.

"Yes we are. What do you have planned?" she just had to get a general idea.

"Dinner, dancing, and a show sweetheart" he stated, keeping the finite details to himself.

"Ok. That's all I wanted to know" she said, finally content to know what she was getting herself into.

"See you at six beautiful" he said and hung up the phone.

"Yeah. See ya then Vin" Charley said as she hung the phone up and prepared herself for the day ahead.

Heading back to her room, Charley picked out a slinky little number from one of her dresser draws. It was a short, sweet, and simple black mini dress that was fairly form-fitting in all the right places. Because she was so limited on shoes, Charley ended up grabbing the pair she wore last night on her date with Modo. She remembered that Vinnie said he wanted her to dress sexy for tonight. She just hoped that he remembered that it was going to be cold tonight and if she got sick she planned on strangling him with his own tail.

Looking over at the clock, she saw it was almost eleven and knew it was time to start working.

She felt tired and just ready to call it a day before even getting started on anything. Somehow, she persevered through her work day and finished up without much aggravation. She closed the doors to the garage and locked everything up before grabbing a couple of strawberries out of the fridge.

Making her way to the bathroom, Charley mentally prepared her mind for the night and prayed for an evening in which Vinnie might actually behave himself. Once in the bathroom, she began to think about Throttle's letter and it gave her a reason to smile. Looking at herself in the mirror, she could see herself blushing with a big Cheshire cat grin.

"Come on Charley. You can't go on a date with Vinnie and think about another dude" she gave herself a pep talk and exhaled heavily to get some control over what she was feeling. She had waited several years to hear Throttle tell her he wanted her and now she could barely maintain control over her own emotions.

"Fuck it! I need to get ready" she growled to herself as she striped out of her uniform and hopped into the shower. Quickly, she scrubbed all the dirt and grim off her body and out of her hair.

She stepped out of the shower, dried off as much as she could, and then blow-dried her auburn hair. She ran some pomade through her dry hair and then plugged in the curling iron. While waiting for the iron to heat up, Charley went upstairs and got dressed but, didn't bother to put the shoes on.

Climbing back down the ladder, with her shoes and jacket, she placed everything on the couch and went back into the bathroom. Doing a quick touch to the iron, she felt that it was plenty hot enough and proceeded to curl her hair. Being that she chose a large barrel iron, it gave her hair big bouncy curls instead of tight corkscrew ones. After finishing the curls, she unplugged the iron and ran her fingers through the cooled curls.

Looking in the mirror, she felt satisfied with their overall appearance. She opted not to wear any makeup so she wouldn't have to wash her face tonight when she got back from her date. Exiting the bathroom, she saw that she still had fifteen minutes before Vinnie was due to arrive and let out a sigh of relief at having a few minutes to relax before going out.

Taking a few minutes, she massaged her feet and gave them a mental pep talk about promising not to do this again for a long while as long as they lasted through tomorrow night. _One more night feet. We can do this. I have faith in you._ As she put her shoes on, she heard the sound of a car pulling up outside the garage. Groaning, she hated to turn away a paying customer but, she was certainly not dressed for repair jobs.

Standing up, she turned to see Vinnie getting out of a rental car. Smiling, she was actually grateful that he paid attention to the weather. Grabbing her jacket, she met Vinnie at the door and he was obviously all smiles at what she was wearing. She was impressed that he was actually wearing a black suit with a white button down shirt. She could have sworn he asked a woman for fashion advice on a date.

"Looking good babe" Vinnie stated as he helped her to the car so this way she wouldn't slip on any ice.

"Thanks. Glad you rented a car" Charley commented. It was a four door Dodge Charger in red, obviously. She had to admit, Vinnie was trying a little bit harder then Modo.

"Well, can't have you getting sick during our date" he smiled with a wink and helped her into the car. He had high hopes of winning this bet and he was planning on pulling out all the stops.

"Aren't we sweet" Charley's statement was loaded with dry humor and a saucy smile.

"Always" he stated as they drove to a Mexican restaurant on the other side of town. He had heard everyone rave about it and he made sure to put in reservations.

"Oh, I got you flowers and chocolate. They're in the back" he stated.

"They're beautiful. Thank you" Charley stated as she reached into the back seat and grabbed the dozen red roses and a heart-shaped box of chocolates. She was actually thrilled to receive something on Valentine's Day besides a bunch of work orders that needed to be filled. Looking over at Vinnie, she guessed it was his way of making up for last night. Overall, in her opinion, it was a very good start to the night. She just hoped he kept it up.

"Not as pretty as you" he said as he went to reach for her hand but, changed his mind. He knew that this was just a bet and not to get too caught up in the moment. He knew he'd have all the time he could possibly want when Throttle and Modo lost to his amazing charms and date skills.

Charley watched out the side window as they pulled into the restaurant parking lot and was amazed at how full it was. She just hoped that the wait wasn't too long. She was starving and had only snacked on a couple of strawberries. As always, Vinnie knew how to find a parking spot in the best of areas without any difficulties.

"Ready?" Vinnie asked as he turned the car off.

"Definitely" she agreed as she placed her gifts in back.

She watched as he jumped out of the car and immediately was opening her door. She noticed he was really pulling out all the stops on wooing her. Holding out his hand, she gladly placed her hand into his and slowly stood up. Reaching behind her, she adjusted her dress so she wouldn't accidentally flash anyone while walking.

Vinnie locked the doors and they walked into the building. Charley could smell all the good food in atmosphere and saw waiters bringing plates out to different tables. They approached the hostess and Vinnie gave his name. It wasn't five minutes before they were seated and given menus.

"So, whatcha ordering?" Vinnie asked, unsure of what to eat.

"Oh that's easy" Charley stated as she watched their waiter approach the table, ready to take their order.

"What can I get for the lovely senorita this evening?" he asked.

"To drink, I'll have a margarita and to eat I'll have huevos con papas y chorizo with a side of guacamole. Please" she stated with a smile, closed her menu, and handed it to their waiter.

"For you senor?" he asked Vinnie.

"I'll have a root beer and same thing as her" he figured it was a safe bet to order the same as Charley.

"Alright. I'll have your drinks out shortly" the waiter stated as he went to get their drinks.

"Question Charley-girl. What did we just order?" he asked.

"Eggs with potatoes and chorizo" she laughed once she realized that Vinnie didn't know what he was in for.

"Ok. What's chorizo?" he asked.

"It's spicy sausage. It's really good" she said as she watched as their drinks were placed in front of them.

"Ok. I'm game" he said as he attempted to drink out of the glass but, ended up getting pocked in the face with a straw. Sighing, he resigned himself to drinking from a straw.

Charley was actually enjoying watching Vinnie struggle a bit with the formal side of dating. She took a dainty sip from her drink and just watched her date carefully pull at his tight collar.

"Vin, undo the top button" she offered some advice so he wouldn't feel too bad about being stuck in a monkey suit.

"Thanks" he took her advice and immediately felt some relief.

"No problem" she said and felt excitement flow through her when she saw their plates of food being brought to their table. _Thank goodness. I'm starving._

"Everything look good?" the waiter inquired.

"Looks amazing. Thank you" she said as she placed a napkin on her lap and proceeded to eat. Looking over, she watched as Vinnie mimicked her actions and felt a sense of relief that he was at least taking initiative on eating with silverware instead of his hands.

As they finished up dinner, with Vinnie staying quiet about the chorizo being a bit too spicy for him, Charley was actually impressed that he behaved himself. He paid for their meal, left a heavy tip for the waiter, and escorted Charley back to the car.

"Where to now?" she asked as she fastened her seat belt.

"Well, yours truly scored us some tickets to see Macbeth" he was down right proud of himself. He knew Charley loved Shakespeare and was able to purchase tickets to see one of his plays.

"Really? I'm impressed" and she meant every word of it. She had been wanting to see Macbeth since it first came out and now she was going to get her chance. She felt like a kid in the candy store driving up to the theater.

After walking into the theater and grabbing their seats, Charley felt completely elated. Especially when the curtains pulled away and the performance began. Even though she knew Macbeth was one of Shakespeare's tragedies, she was still happy to see the show.

The play was about a brave Scottish general named Macbeth who received a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he would become King of Scotland. He became consumed by the ambition and spurred to action by his wife. Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia. Forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion, he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler. The bloodbath and consequent civil war swiftly take Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into the realms of madness and death.

The play lasted for a little over an hour but, it was long enough for Vinnie to almost fall asleep. She let out a soft chuckle as she gently nudged him awake.

"Huh? What did I miss?" Vinnie asked with a yawn.

"I think most of it" Charley said with small yawn. She was tired and ready to call it a night but, she remembered that he was still taking her dancing after this.

"Man. Sorry. Still up for dancing?" he hoped she was.

"Yeah" she said but, it was obvious she was becoming exhausted.

"Alright. Let's go cut a rug!" he said excitedly.

It wasn't long before they were at a local dance club which wasn't far from the garage. Vinnie had removed his jacket and left it in the car. They walked into the club and the first thing that greeted them was very loud music. They made their way through the crowd of dancing people and found a nice spot where they could dance.

Vinnie had no qualms about showing out and dancing. Charley laughed as he twirled her around on the dance floor. There wasn't much for slow songs throughout the rest of the night. The ones that did play gave Vinnie an excuse to pull Charley really close. She was so close at one point that she could feel him through layers of clothes.

It was almost two in the morning by the time they left the club and Charley was completely worn out. They got back to the garage and Charley reached into the back to grab her roses and candy. Vinnie walked her to the door and helped her inside.

"Thanks Vinnie. I had a really good time" Charley said, not sure of how to politely boot Vinnie out of the garage without sounding rude.

"Me to" he just knew, hands down, that he won. So, on instinct, he leaned over to kiss Charley on the lips. Instead, his lips ended up meeting her cheek.

"Good night Vinnie" Charley chuckled as she gave him credit for attempting to take things to the next level before even knowing if he could. She gave him a gentle peck on the side of his cheek and led him to the door.

"Night gorgeous" he said as he climbed into the car and drove off.

"One more night" she reluctantly stated as she locked the door and walked to the kitchen. She found a vase and filled it with water before putting the roses in it. She put the vase into the living room to perk it up a bit.

Looking at the box of chocolates, she debated as to whether she wanted one or not. She opened the box and took a taste of one. They were decent chocolates and she was glad that Vinnie thought outside the box.

Taking her shoes off for the second night in a row, she climbed up to her room and tossed the painfull footwear into the closet. Lying down on the bed, Charley looked over at the clock and saw that it was almost four. Grabbing the clothes she wore last night, she quickly changed into them, tossed the dress into the closet, and crawled under the covers. It didn't take long for sleep to take over.

* * *

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this lengthy chapter. Special shoutout to DinoDragonMaster for the inspiration on this chapter. Also humongous CYBER HUGS to kittycat0521 and Yankee71 for sticking with this story and several of my other ones. Again, if anyone has any ideas or comments for the upcoming chapters please feel free to speak your mind.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Bachelor#3-Throttle**

 **SUNDAY**

Charley awoke to the sound of gentle knocking on the garage door. Looking over at the clock, she saw that it was almost ten. Groaning, she rubbed the side of her head. She felt miserable after being out so late last night with Vinnie and having a couple of drinks at the club didn't help either.

Tossing off the covers, Charley made her way down the ladder and to the front door. Smiling when she saw that it was only Stoker. She opened the door and allowed him to come in.

"Rough night?" he asked when he saw that she looked a little disheveled.

"Yeah. I didn't get home until almost three and didn't fall asleep til four" Charley yawned loudly as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Go sit down. I know how to make coffee" Stoker insisted as he pulled a chair out for her and she eagerly plopped down on it.

"So what's got you here?" she asked as she laid her head down on the table.

"Well, Throttle sent me to let you know that he'll be here at six and he has also sent me here to take care of you for the next several hours" he said as the the scent of freshly brewing coffee filled the kitchen air.

"Why do I need taking care of?" she groaned.

"My job today is to take you to a place that Throttle has made arrangements to have you pampered for the next several hours. This way, when you get home, you will have nothing to do" he supplied as small amount of information as he could. He wasn't allowed to tell her everything. For that matter, he didn't know much about what his young friend had planned. All he knew was that this was all part of Throttle proving himself worthy and capable for Charley.

"Pampered?" Charley's head lifted up off the table and she thought she was actually hearing things. She watched as Stoker poured her a cup of coffee and set it on the table.

"Yes" was all he said to her.

"As in a spa?" she was certain that she was imagining all of what he was saying. She took a sip of the hot coffee and mentally pinched herself.

"Yes and my job is to make sure you enjoy every moment and that all your needs are met while you're there" he said as he grabbed a cup of coffee for himself and then sat down next to Charley. He could tell that Vinnie had kept her out way best a reasonable hour and she was overly tired.

"Wow. I didn't expect him to do that. Why doesn't he take me?" she inquired as she held the cup between her hands.

"Because he has to make sure that everything is ready for you. It's all a surprise that I can't tell you" he said with a chuckle.

"Ok. When do we need to leave?" Charley asked as as she took another sip of coffee.

"In about thirty minutes" Stoker said as he leaned back an looked at the clock in the garage.

"Alright. Give me about five minutes to throw some clothes" she wasn't sure of what to wear but, the way she was feeling at that moment she could have cared less. She quickly changed into a pair of black jeans and a red sweater. She opted to wear her cowboy boots instead of any of her other shows.

After getting dressed, she went to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face. She quickly brushed her teeth and then brushed her hair. Charley grabbed a scrunchie and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. Taking one last look in the mirror, she felt somewhat satisfied with her overall appearance. She would have preferred more time to get ready but, that time wasn't allotted to her.

"Okay. I'm about as ready as I'll ever be" she said as she grabbed her jacket and purse.

"Looks good to me" Stoker chuckled.

"Great. Let's go" she was ready to get the day over with and go back to bed.

"Ladies first" Stoker added the extra charm as he held the door open for Charley and escorted her to his bike. He helped her onto the bike and then climbed on in front of her. He felt Charley wrap her arms around his waist and laid her head against his back. He just hoped that Throttle's plan perked her up and helped her relax for the big night ahead.

 **P.O.V.**

Throttle watched as Stoker and Charley took off to the all expense paid for spa that he had set up for her yesterday. He had to get her out of the garage for a few hours so he could set up everything. Carbine had actually been nice of enough to offer assistance but, he informed her that he had to do this all on his own.

Pulling up to the garage, he grabbed several bags of gifts that he had purchased for her. Opening the door, he placed the packages down onto the couch. He saw that Vinnie was true to his word on getting Charley roses and chocolates. He noticed she had only eaten one piece and left the rest. Looking at the box, it said they were chocolate covered caramels. Shaking his head, Throttle knew those weren't her favorites but, she never spent much on herself since they arrived.

Opening the garage door, he drove his bike in and then locked everything up so he wouldn't be disturbed. Looking around, he saw that she had been so busy with work and dates that she hadn't had the opportunity to clean up after herself.

Grabbing one of the bags, he climbed the ladder and cleaned her room up. He stripped her bed and put on brand new forest green colored sheets. He changed out the flattened pillows and put on a set of down stuffed ones. He even purchased a plush velour blanket that matched her sheets for extra warmth and softness.

Satisfied with the overall appearance of her freshly cleaned room, he went and grabbed another gift bag and brought it back to her room. He had taken a sneak peek inside some interior decorating magazine and got some pretty interesting ideas that he hoped would make Charley feel special. Digging through the bag, he pulled out several votive candles and placed them around her room. He then pulled out two white boxes with large red ribbons and bows on them and placed them on her bed. Reaching back into the bag, Throttle pulled out another box and sprinkled rose petals on her bed and around where he had placed the candles.

Smiling to himself, he grabbed the bags and climbed back downstairs. Looking at the clock, he saw that it was almost noon. He was grateful that he had several hours left to go to finish up.

Making his way to the bathroom, Throttle grabbed another bag. He quickly clean the bathroom and removed the old towels. He replaced the towels with very plush pale pink towels with matching floor mats and toilet seat cover. Afterwards, he put a large loaded goody basket onto the toilet and set up some more candles along with sprinkling some rose petals in there.

Closing the bathroom door, he made his way to the kitchen. He took the trash out and washed up any remaining dishes. He wiped down the counters and placed candles there. He cleaned off the table and placed a red tablecloth on it. Walking back to his bike, he grabbed a vase that was filled with white carnations. He placed the vase in the center of the table along with more candles. Reaching into one of the bags, he pulls out a white service set for two and a set of wine glasses. Placing the dining sets on the table as they were shown in the picture test Throttle's patience for perfection but, he accomplished it. In front of the flowers, Throttle placed a small box for Charley to open when she got home along with a note.

Now that the kitchen was ready, he made his way into the living and garage section. He dusted off the furniture and fluffed the couch cushions before folding up the blanket and placing it on the backside of the couch. He had to educate himself on how to use a vacuum cleaner but, he managed to do so and not blow it up. He made sure all the tools were cleaned up and put away. The last thing he knew Charley wanted to do was any cleaning before she opened up tomorrow. He picked up the box of chocolates and placed them into the fridge so they wouldn't go bad. Grabbing the last of the rose petals, he sprinkled throughout the rest of the garage and living room.

His intentions were to have everything set up so all he would have to do, before picking up dinner, was to light the candles and turn on some soft music. Looking up at the clock, he saw that it was almost time for Charley to come home. _Perfect timing._ He thought as he walked into the kitchen with a bottle of wine. It was a bottle of Riunite Lambrusco, which he hoped she would like because, he had seen a small bottle of it up in her cabinets. Pouring some wine into the set of glasses gave Throttle a sense of accomplishment.

Making his way through the garage, Throttle made sure all the candles were lit and some soft music was playing before he left to get dinner for tonight. He knew his cooking skills were very lackluster at best and fire hazard most of the time. So, he ordered dinner to be picked up by five forty-five so it would still be hot when he got back to the garage. After making sure that everything was locked up, Throttle left to go pick up his order.

 **P.O.V.**

After arriving at the spa, Stoker made sure that Charley was checked in and that there wasn't going to be any problems. She insisted that Stoker didn't need to stick around while she got pampered but, he knew he couldn't let Throttle down. So, they came to an agreement that he would be at the mall and if she needed him to have the bike come get him.

She couldn't believe that Throttle had paid for her to be able to go to the spa and enjoy herself. They first took her to the back for an hour long total body massage. She could have sworn that they removed any and all kinks that were in her muscles. All her stress and problems disappeared the moment they started usual the essential oils on her body.

After the massage, she was taken to another room to have a manicure and pedicure done. They sloughed off all the dead skin and callouses from her hands and feet. After that, they painted her nails in pale pink because, they knew she worked at a garage and they wouldn't last very long.

They even brought her turkey club with pepper bacon, roasted turkey, Swiss cheese, crispy iceberg lettuce, tomato and mayo on toasted caraway rye bread for lunch as part of the deal along with a glass of champagne. Smiling, she knew that Throttle had thought of everything for her comfort and happiness.

After she had a light lunch, they took her over to one of the shampoo bowls and washed and conditioned her hair. They took her back to one of the chairs, towel dried her hair as much as possible, and then put her hair up into rollers. They then placed her under a dryer and handed her another glass of champagne. She cheerfully sat there and read several of their glamour and hair magazines until her timer went off. After the timer went off, she was taken back to the chair to have the rollers removed and have her hair styled. They ended up putting her hair into a classic french twist with a few curls left hanging out around the edges.

By the time they finished her up, it was five and Charley didn't even think her day could get any better. But, she still had her date with Throttle and she could tell that it was going to be over the top and far surpass anything that she could think of. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she felt amazing and beautiful. Looking over at the front door, She saw Stoker waiting for as he tipped the people who had worked with her. It was in that moment that Charley realized that Throttle was the noble knight and Stoker was his loyal squire who certainly wouldn't take any of his crap.

"Ready?" Stoker could see by her facial expression that she was more than revived. She looked amazingly relaxed and far more beautiful than normal.

"Yeah" Charley's voiced sounded very breathy as she mounted the back of the bike and carefully put on her helmet so she wouldn't mess up her hair.

After arriving at the garage, Stoker made sure that she made it inside before leaving to go relax himself. He had spent the entire day making sure that Charley was being look after properly and now he was ready to take a long nap.

Charley walked into the garage and her jaw dropped. She saw lit candles and roses petals everywhere. After removing her jacket, she made her way to the kitchen and saw the most amazing bouquet of white carnations. Looking down, she found a letter addressed to her.

 _Dear Charley,_

 _Went to grab dinner. A chef I am not. Go relax and enjoy yourself. I'll be back shortly._

 _Affectionately,_

 _Throttle_

She placed a hand over her mouth and tried not to cry happy tears. She opened the box on the table and found twelve chocolate covered strawberries from Godiva. She debated with herself for just a moment before making up her mind to taste test one. Picking one up, she allowed the tasty morsel to practically melt in her mouth. She giggled as she thought about how naughty she was being on having dessert before dinner.

Grabbing the glass of wine, Charley took a sip and realized it was her favorite ruby red sparkling wine. She could smell the heavy berry scent wafting up as she took another sip and made her way to the bathroom. Upon entering, she saw more lit candles and petals. She gasped with pleasure when she noticed all the new additions that Throttle had placed in it. But what really got her was the basket full of goodies. It was all her favorite scent: Sweet Pea from Bath and Body Works. There was lotion, shower gel, fragrance mist, body cream, perfume, diamond shimmer mist, bath fizzy, sugar scrub, and bubble bath stuff. He had even put in a new over-sized bath sponge.

She couldn't wait to see the rest of the place. Taking her glass of wine with her, she went to her bedroom and giggled like a school girl upon seeing everything that he had done. Put her glass down, she sat down on the edge of her bed and admired the gifts he had left on her bed. One of them had a card on it that said "open first". So she did. Upon opening it, she found a gorgeous burgundy front-wrap gown that had a thigh-high slit on either side and deep V neck font and back.

She decided to try it on to see if it fit and to her surprise it was perfect. It hugged every one of her curves like a dream. She felt amazing with something new on.

"Charley? You home?" came the smooth sound of Throttle's voice.

"Yeah. I'm upstairs" Charley saw that her face was glowing.

"You look amazing" Throttle said as he climbed up the ladder to her room.

"So do you" she didn't even recognize her own voice as she looked at Throttle in the mirror and saw that he was wearing a new black tuxedo.

"You have a good time?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Oh Throttle. I had the most amazing day and it's getting even better. Thank you" Charley was nearly in tears as she turned around in his arms and buried her face into his shoulder.

 **We're no strangers to love  
You know the rules and so do I  
A full commitment's what I'm thinking of  
You wouldn't get this from any other guy**

"You're welcome" he said as he kissed the top of her head. He had to admit, even the hair sprayed they used smelled amazing.

"You ready to eat?" he asked.

"Yeah" she couldn't stop smiling as they made their way to the kitchen.

 **I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling  
Gotta make you understand**

"Some more wine?" he offered as he helped her to her seat.

"Yes" she said as she noticed what they were having for dinner. It was shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo with fresh baked garlic bread.

"I remember you told me once that this was one of your favorites" stating as he poured the wine. He knew that the wine wasn't the correct pairing but, it was what she liked.

 **Never gonna give you up  
Never gonna let you down  
Never gonna run around and desert you  
Never gonna make you cry  
Never gonna say goodbye  
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you**

"You're right. It is" she said as she watched Throttle take a seat across from her. She couldn't believe that he remembered everything that she really liked.

"How did you remember all of this?" she finally had to know that answer before it ate her up.

"I paid attention" he stated as he watched her enjoy her dinner.

"How?" Charley inquired, recalling her love for shrimp.

 **We've known each other for so long  
Your heart's been aching, but  
You're too shy to say it  
Inside, we both know what's been going on  
We know the game and we're gonna play it**

"Okay. The dress was a guess. I wasn't sure if you would like it or not. I just know that you didn't have really that many dressy things in your closet. Yes, I peeked in your closet" he confessed and watched as her eyes sparkled with amusement. He wasn't sure if it was the wine that was making her cheeks look so warm or if it was really warm in the garage.

 **And if you ask me how I'm feeling  
Don't tell me you're too blind to see**

"Okay" she felt so warm at that moment and wasn't sure where it was coming from.

"The chocolates came from the fact that I watched you eat strawberries and chocolate syrup on waffles the other morning when you made breakfast" he said as he slowly ate his dinner. He could understand why Charley loved it so much. It had a nice creamy taste with a hint a garlic.

 **Never gonna give you up  
Never gonna let you down  
Never gonna run around and desert you  
Never gonna make you cry  
Never gonna say goodbye  
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you**

"Oh. One of my little quirks" she said, blushing, as she pushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"I know. I got to taste test one and can see why. They're really good" he smiled as he laid his hand on the table.

"What else?" she was determined to see how he obtained the knowledge. Noticing his hand, she laid one of her hands over the top of his.

 **Never gonna give you up  
Never gonna let you down  
Never gonna run around and desert you  
Never gonna make you cry  
Never gonna say goodbye  
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you**

"Your bath stuff? I saw an almost empty container in the shower when I went to use it and I just saw that your towels could use a more girly touch" he felt the warmth of her hand on the back of his. Turning his hand over, he gently held her tiny hand in his and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

 **(Ooh, give you up)  
(Ooh, give you up)  
Never gonna give, never gonna give  
(Give you up)  
Never gonna give, never gonna give  
(Give you up)**

"Throttle" she was nearly breathless as she looked at him. It was in that moment that she knew he truly cared for her. He had seen into her heart and knew that in order to be the one for her, he had to shape up and become the man he needed to be. He was her knight in leather and denim and he rode a powerful steel horse.

 **We've known each other for so long  
Your heart's been aching, but  
You're too shy to say it  
Inside, we both know what's been going on  
We know the game and we're gonna play it**

"Yeah Charley" Throttle looked up into jewel colored eyes and saw pure happiness in their depths. He knew that this was what they both wanted. It was the serenity that they were both looking for but, had never been able to find until they met each other.

"I have an answer for you" she felt as though her lips barely moved as she spoke.

 **I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling  
Gotta make you understand**

"I don't need to know it now. It can wait" he didn't want her to feel rushed into making a decision without having some more time to think about it. He still felt as though he needed to prove himself worthy of her.

 **Never gonna give you up  
Never gonna let you down  
Never gonna run around and desert you  
Never gonna make you cry  
Never gonna say goodbye  
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you**

"I know. But, I already what I want" she deliberately spoke softly and slowly to make sure he understood exactly what she was trying to tell him.

"Are you sure?" he knew he shouldn't be questioning her but, he wanted to make sure that she knew what she was getting herself into and that she had had enough time to process everything.

"Yes. I want...you. Always and forever" Charley smiled. She knew that this was her choice and it was the right one.

 **Never gonna give you up  
Never gonna let you down  
Never gonna run around and desert you  
Never gonna make you cry  
Never gonna say goodbye  
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you**

"I want you to understand everything that you are agreeing to. I'll ask you again in the morning when you have had a chance to think more clearly on it" Throttle hated turning her down but, he also knew she had a couple of drinks in her system and would probably agree to anything if asked her.

 **Never gonna give you up  
Never gonna let you down  
Never gonna run around and desert you  
Never gonna make you cry  
Never gonna say goodbye  
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you**

Charley just smiled at him with a rosy glow that could light up any room and he found himself falling under her spell. He had no doubts about her feelings but, he wanted her judgment to be completely unclouded.

 **It's late at night and we're all alone,  
just the music on the radio.  
No one's comin', no one's gonna telephone.  
Just me and you and the lights down low.**

"Come on" he said as he helped her to stand. She smiled up at him and he couldn't help but think that he could be her everything.

 **We're slow dancin', swayin' to the music.  
slow dancin', just me and my girl.  
Slow dancin', swayin' to the music.  
no one else in the whole wide world**

He pulled her body close to his, allowing her body to use his strength to support her. He knew he could get used to the feel of her in his arms. He enjoyed the fact that she was relying of his strength in this moment to give her strength.

 **Just you, girl.**

He watched as she savored the moment when his arms wrapped around her waist. He could feel every curve of her body mold to his as they swayed gently to the tempo of the music.

 **And we just flow together when the lights are low,  
Shadows dancin' all across the wall.  
Music's playin' so soft and slow  
The rest of the world's so far away and small, when...**

He felt her arms twine around his neck bringing her lithe body closer to his. He had forgotten how nice it was to be this close to her. It had been a long time since they had had the opportunity to be this close.

 **We're slow dancin', swayin' to the music.  
slow dancin', just me and my girl.  
Slow dancin', swayin' to the music.  
no one else in the whole wide world**

The candle lights flickered softly as they slow danced to the rhythm of the music. He would have given all of Mars to know, for certain, that he was all she would ever need. He wondered if she would be willing to leave Earth and live on Mars with him for the rest of their lives.

 **Hold me, oh hold me, no, never let me go.  
And as we dance together in the dark,  
So much love in this heart of mine.  
Whisper to me, hold me tight.  
You're the one I thought I'd never find,  
And now...**

"Hey. Let's get you to bed gorgeous. I know you've had it rough the past few nights. I'll sleep on the couch" he said as he walked her to the ladder and helped her up.

"Thank you Throttle. For everything. This was more than what I was even expecting" Charley said as she stood on one of the ladder rungs and was finally able to look him straight in the eyes.

"You're welcome" he said as he got ready to clean up but, was pulled back by Charley. Before he even had a chance to think, she kissed him on the muzzle and who was he to complain. He had waited several years for this moment. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her tightly against him. He buried his other hand into her hair. He could feel the heat of her mouth against his as their tongues met feverishly in the middle.

Of course, reality snapped back into Throttle's head and he, regrettably broke off the kiss. He had to wait and cursed his stupid nobility.

"Get to bed" Throttle chuckle as he watched her turn around and finish climbing up the ladder. He heard her change into some warm clothes and crawl happily into bed. Throttle made his way through the garage and blew out all the candles. He clean up the kitchen and got all the petals swept up. He put what little leftovers there was left into the fridge.

Satisfied that the garage was clean, he changed into his sweatpants and laid down on the couch. It had been a long couple of days but, tonight was well worth all the effort. He had never seen her so happy in the years that he knew her. Closing his eyes, Throttle fell asleep very quickly.

* * *

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Many special CYBER HUGS to Yankee71, kittycat0521, DinoDragonMaster, and Youkai55 for your wonderful review and thank you everyone else for your reviews too. If anyone has any thoughts, ideas, or questions for the next chapters please feel free to speak your mind and I'll try to utilize/address it in the following chapters.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: The results are in!**

 **Monday Morning**

Charley awoke early the next morning to find that Throttle had left sometime during the night but, he was polite enough to leave her a note:

 _Dearest Charlene Davidson,_

 _I had an amazing night last night and I am hoping you did as well. I cleaned everything up so you wouldn't have to think about do so. I figured it was best for me to leave before you woke up because, I'm pretty sure that Carbine will be coming over sometime this morning to play twenty questions with you. I hope you slept well and have a wonderful and uneventful morning._

 _With deepest affections,_

 _Throttle Lamont_

Charley loved the fact that Throttle wrote to her. It was his way of communicating with her on an emotional level without anyone else knowing. Neither Modo or Vinnie knew about the letter Throttle wrote to her a couple of days ago. She wasn't even sure if Carbine knew about it but, as part of the whole bet Charley knew she would have to reveal how each of them asked her out.

As she enjoyed her first cup of coffee while sitting on the couch, Carbine pulled up to the garage and walked in with a pen and paper in hand. Charley chuckled as Carbine excitedly walked over to her, ready to decimate to three walking carpets.

"You ready for this?" Carbine inquired as she grabbed a cup of coffee and joined Charley on the couch. She couldn't wait to see how well the three macho mice failed.

"As I'll ever be" she answered with a smile.

"Ok. Modo? How did he do?" Carbine asked as she got ready to write out all the juicy details of what he didn't do.

"Well, Modo did call up at the garage to ask me out to go to the movies and grab something quick to eat. Hot dogs as a matter of fact. There wasn't much for conversation. He did talk a lot to the movie. He also made sure to help me walk everywhere we went so I wouldn't fall. He also made sure that we didn't stay out too late because I had to work the next day. Overall, I'd say he did well. I would give him a grade of 80 for not being very original. I think, deep down, he was uncomfortable with going out on a date with me" Charley said as she watched Carbine write everything down.

"Oh. Not bad for the big guy. I'm impressed that he stuck to the basics and what he knew. How about Vinnie? Self proclaimed Romeo" Carbine was sure that he bombed.

"I was actually impressed with his date. But, he also called up the garage to ask me out. No originality there. We went out to a restaurant, went to see a Shakespearean play, and then we went to a dance club. He actually got dressed up and rented a car. He even bought me chocolate covered caramels and a dozen roses" she said with a giggled.

"Really? I didn't think he had it in him. How did he behave the whole time?" Carbine asked, actually impressed that Vinnie did that well on a date.

"Well, he does lose points for spying on Modo and I at the movies and for falling asleep during the last fifteen minutes of the play" Charley hated to do it but, he knew better.

""Hm. That's interesting" Carbine commented.

"But, overall. I would have to say he earned a score of 90. He really went out of his way on that date and he impressed me" Charley mentioned.

"Throttle's going to have a hard time beating that. Speaking of which, how did he do?" Carbine asked as she continued to write down everything that Charley was telling her.

"He did amazing" Charley smiled and then blushed ten shades of red when Carbine looked up at her.

"Amazing? How so?" Carbine asked. She was certain that she heard her friend wrong. Throttle and amazing dates didn't go together.

"He actually wrote me a long letter and asked me out that way. He had Stoker deliver it. On the day of the date, he actually sent me off the spa to be pampered all day while he cleaned up the garage and made it look amazing. He had candles and rose petals out everywhere. If you take a look in my bedroom and bathroom, he bought me a whole bunch of just amazing things. Things that I had been wanting to buy but, I didn't" Charley was nearly in tear again for how well Throttle had treated her.

"You're kidding, right?" Carbine questioned as she stood up and walked over to the bathroom. Opening the door, she saw exactly was Charley was talking about. He had gone above and beyond the call of an actual date. Walking upstairs, she saw need bed sheets and pillows along with a new dress and an unopened gift.

"Wow! I didn't think he had it in him" Carbine was impressed. Throttle never did that for her but, then again, he duty was to Mars and not to their relationship. That was the reason she let Throttle go. She knew, deep down, that he deserved someone who was going to be there for him.

"You outta see the kitchen and the fridge" Charley gushed.

"Oh?" Carbine questioningly exclaimed as she made her way there. She was greeted by a formally made table with lots of flowers and candles, along with half a bottle of deep red wine. Looking into the fridge, she saw a box of inexpensive chocolates and a box of high end ones. She saw that there was some leftovers. That's when it dawned on Carbine exactly what Throttle was doing.

"Charley, what type of letter did Throttle write to you? I don't want to know what's in it" Carbine questioned as she walked back into the living room and sat back down on the couch.

"Stoker called it a letter of declaration. Stoker basically became the liaison between Throttle's and my communication" Charley said, not knowing how Carbine would feel about it.

"Ah. That would explain everything. He's in love with you" Carbine said as she laid a hand over Charley's, knowing that she didn't completely understand what was going on.

"He is?" Charley's mind was reeling from the revelation. She knew all three of her heros cared about her but, she didn't know that Throttle truly loved her. She knew she had said some things last night to him but, the memory was a little hazy towards the end.

"Yes. I take it he got a 100" Carbine couldn't be happier that Throttle had found Charley in one of the darker moments of his life and she was a light leading the way.

"How could he not? Everything he did was over the top" Charley was so happy that tears were beginning to form around the corners of her eyes.

"I'll let them know. Oh. I forgot to tell you who I ran into at the beginning of all of this" Carbine couldn't wait to share the news about how her love life was going.

"Who?" Charley wanted her friend to find happiness in all this.

"Four-by" Carbine felt like a school mouse for the first time in years.

"Really? How did that happen?" Charley just had to know.

"Well, I happened to be having some bike issues the other evening on the freeway and he showed up and put the bike onto the back of his truck. He even took me back to his place to fix her. I asked him what I owed him and he said a date. At first I thought it was a joke and he said he was serious. What could I do but say yes. So, we went out last night and it was amazing. He was the perfect gentleman and he asked me out for a second date" Carbine felt herself blush. She had always found Four-by to be very handsome by human standards and he was a real rebel when it came to bad guys.

"What did you say?" Charley already knew the answer just by looking at Carbine's face.

"I said yes. He's very handsome and sweet. A little rough around the edges but, I like that. He seemed happy and then he said he had waited for a while to ask me out because, I had been with Throttle and he didn't want to mess that up" Carbine said.

"He makes you happy" Charley was merely stating the obvious as she watched her friend's smile light up the garage. She knew the feeling of love all to well. She loved Throttle and Carbine loved Four-by. It just took a few things to change for them to finally be with the ones that they were suppose to be with.

 **You're the light, you're the night  
You're the colour of my blood  
You're the cure, you're the pain  
You're the only thing I wanna touch  
Never knew that it could mean so much, so much**

"Hey ladies!" came the sound of Throttle's voice.

"What's going on?" not far behind Throttle was Four-by.

"Nothing" Carbine stated as she attempted to remove the silly grin off her face when she saw Four-by.

"Just girl talk" Charley said as she tried to sober up her expression as she gazed at Throttle, finally knowing what true happiness was.

 **You're the fear, I don't care  
'Cause I've never been so high  
Follow me to the dark  
Let me take you past our satellites  
You can see the world you brought to life, to life**

"So, who won the bet gorgeous?" Four-by asked. Carbine had joked about it the other night with him. By the look on Charley's face, it was obvious as to who actually won.

"I'm sure we're all wondering that" came Vinnie's voice as he waited with bated breath to have him announced as the undefeated victor.

"It was Throttle" Carbine was very happy to make that announcement. Even if it was to deflate Vinnie's over-sized ego.

 **So love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do  
Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do  
Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do  
What are you waiting for?**

"What! No way!" Vinnie was obviously confused as to how he lost. He just knew he had it in the bag.

"Well, it was really close between you two. Here's why you lost Vinnie. You spied on Modo and I while we were on our date and you fell asleep the last fifteen minutes of the play. You didn't even try to play it off at the play" Charley chuckled as Vinnie attempted to sober up over the fact that he really did blow it and lost.

 **Fading in, fading out  
On the edge of paradise  
Every inch of your skin is a holy grail I've got to find  
Only you can set my heart on fire, on fire  
Yeah, I'll let you set the pace  
'Cause I'm not thinking straight  
My head's spinning around I can't see clear no more  
What are you waiting for?**

"By the way Throttle. Good job" Carbine confessed as she walked over to Four-by.

"Thanks. Coming from you that actually means something" Throttle confessed as he looked at Charley and wondered what she was thinking.

"Throttle" Charley spoke as she walked over to him.

"Yeah Charley" Throttle swallowed hard as she came to stand in front of him. He didn't know what to expect out of her.

 **Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (like you do)  
Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do  
Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do  
What are you waiting for?**

"My answer is yes" Charley closed the distance between them and placed her hands on his muscular biceps. She had every intention of making sure that what she said sunk into Throttle's thick skull.

"What is she saying yes to?" Vinnie questioned as he grabbed a root beer from the fridge and noticed everything that was in there. He fumed for a moment but, Throttle did win fair and square.

"Charley, are you sure?" Throttle questioned her so this way it would give her the opportunity to think about what she was agreeing to.

 **Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (like you do)  
Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (yeah)  
Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do  
What are you waiting for?**

"Yes. I am ready to sign on that line...with you" Charley spoke her words softly and with confidence in her decision to take Throttle for who he was.

"Dude, did you write a letter?" Modo asked, finally understanding exactly what Charley was saying. She was agreeing to be with Throttle for the rest of their lives.

"Yes I did" he stated as he looked around at everyone before refocusing back on Charley.

 **I'll let you set the pace  
'Cause I'm not thinking straight  
My head's spinning around I can't see clear no more  
What are you waiting for?**

"What letter?" as always, Vinnie wasn't up to date on his history lessons and Modo had to exlain to Vinnie what it meant.

"Oh! Oh well. There's plenty of other ladies in the galaxy" Vinnie wanted to be mad at Throttle for not telling him but, he really couldn't. Besides, he had found Harley and was ready to make a life with her on Mars.

"Like Harley?" came the voice of Stoker as he pulled up to the garage.

 **Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (like you do)  
Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (yeah)  
Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do  
What are you waiting for?**

"Yup" Vinnie agreed.

"So am I" Throttle was more than ready and had waited several years to be with Charley.

"I know you're right" Charley said with a smile before leaping into Throttle's arms and kissing him. She felt a sigh of relief rush over her as his arms wrapped around her. She felt safe and secure wrapped up in his strong embrace. **  
Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (like you do)  
Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do (oh)  
Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do  
What are you waiting for?**

 **SIX MONTHS LATER**

Carbine did end up holding up her end of the Valentine's Day date on Mars. Throttle ended up asking Charley to be his wife and life mate to which she obviously said yes to. Throttle and Charley were married and decided to stay on Earth to keep it safe. They were expecting their first child in about six months and they couldn't be happier.

Four-by and Carbine ended up on Mars and eloped before anyone knew anything. They decided to wait a little while before attempting to have children. But, fate has a way of changing one's plans. Carbine recently learned that she was pregnant and Charley was actually happy to have someone else to share her pregnancy woes and cravings with.

Harley and Vinnie were still playing the dating game with each other. Harley had some issues from her troubled times and Vinnie was attempting to work through his commitment issues. But, it was obvious to everyone that they were very much in love with each other.

Modo and Stoker were still very much confirmed bachelors but, the girls were working on transforming them. Charley, Harley, and Carbine didn't want them to feel left out of the romance end of things much to their chagrin.

Everything turned out amazing for them and they couldn't be happier.

* * *

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this final chapter of this story. I really enjoyed being able to write this one in such a short period of time. It also helps helps to have amazing readers and reviewers. Special shout-outs and CYBER HUGS/LOVE to DinoDragonMaster, Kittycat0521, Youkai55, and Yankee71 for your unending and supportive reviews. To all my other reviewers, lots of CYBER HUGS to you as well.**


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